Apr 04, 2017

As a relatively new freelance writer, I’m putting the majority of effort into creating great content for my own website when I’m not actively looking for client work.

Before we even dive in, let’s get one thing straight: It’s pretty easy for me to sit and preach about a blog. I started with my own lifestyle blog at the age of 12 and practically owe my life to that little space, no matter how embarrassing it is for me to look back on.

Running a consistent blog is something that I’ve aimed to do since starting a website for my freelancing work. It may be time-consuming, but there are many benefits of running your own blog, including:

1) You write? Show potential clients!

If you’re trying to win new clients through your freelancing website, it’s important that it’s full with some of your best work. Your website will often be the first place that people come to view your previous articles, and it’s likely that they’ll head to your blog after visiting your portfolio to learn more about your writing style.

Along with showing potential clients how much you love writing, it’ll prove to them that you’re serious about it and you know the importance of consistently blogging.
Fill your writing blog with examples that demonstrate you know what you’re doing. If there are hundreds of pieces to look through, your client will be more likely to come to you because they know that you’re passionate about writing.

Let’s face it, you won’t really have a leg to stand on if you’re preaching to your clients about the importance of good website copy and a consistent content strategy if you aren’t using one yourself!

2) Prove your knowledge

Once you’ve defined your content niche, regularly writing about it on your own blog is a great way to prove to a prospective client that you’re knowledgeable and passion about it.

I specialize in marketing writing, which is why my blog is full of tips on how to write, market and boost your online presence. I also talk about running a freelance business as it helps me to connect with others in a similar situation to myself, creating a readership and audience.

I refer my potential clients to my blog when showing a portfolio of my work every time. They can get to know me through my own writing style (as opposed to that of a client’s), whilst recognizing that I know my stuff!

3) Content for sharing

Once you’ve created articles that prove your knowledge about your niche, you can use them as marketing materials to attract new clients and build a social media presence.

I like to use my blog posts to fill my social calendar with my own content.

I share each blog post on Twitter every few days. I share it on my Facebook page once it’s been published. I pin the featured image to Pinterest.

All of these methods are providing me with content for my social queue, meaning that it always looks like I’m active online (even though I do owe my life to pre-scheduling!). It also helps with driving traffic back to my website and the potential to receive more backlinks to my site.

Instead of just sharing content from other bloggers, share your own! It’ll prove your authority and help with widening your audience. You never know, these people could become clients in the future.

4) SEO value

Not only will a backlog of blog posts provide you with content to use in your social strategy, but it’ll also help with your website’s SEO.

Let’s say you’ve got a freelancing website with just a few simple About, Contact and Testimonial pages – not an active blog. A search engine won’t have any fresh content to feed on and a lack of indexed pages will mean you won’t really stand a chance when it comes to ranking highly for your keywords.

On the other hand, let’s say you’ve got the typical standard pages and 100+ articles about freelance writing and/or articles about your niche. In each blog post you’ve mentioned your keyword a few times in key placements.

Which website is more likely to get more organic traffic?

If nothing else, an active blog is a great way to get in the practice of articulating your thoughts about your industry. As Walter Ong said, "Writing is the technology that restructures thought" – who knows what revelations an active blogging practice could bring to your business!

Elise Dopson is a freelance marketing and business writer, addicted to showing people that freelancing isn't as scary as they may think!

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